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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 08 Issue 22
Volume 8, Issue 22 Atari Online News, Etc. June 2, 2006
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2006
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Djordje Vukovic
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0822 06/02/06
~ FBI Wants Records Kept ~ People Are Talking! ~ Dell Debuts XPS PCs!
~ China Censorship Fight ~ Apple Loses Court Bid! ~ TeraDesk Updated!
~ Windows Live OneCare! ~ Yahoo Nazi Case Passed ~ Internet Repression!
~ Password-Thief Trojan! ~ Vista Will Have IE7+! ~ Web Ready To Evolve
-* Middle Classes Go Broadband! *-
-* Microsoft Planning an eBay Buyout? *-
-* Google Has No Plans For Its Own Web Browser *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Shades of Katrina, it's hurricane season again already. And with that news,
we're headed for torrential downpours this week (and weekend). Gee, didn't
we just go through this weather pattern?! With the recent heat we've had
the past week, we can use the rain. But, only if the totals keep the rivers
below flood stage!
I hope that everyone had an enjoyable long Memorial Day weekend. I know, it
is only celebrated in the U.S., but I can't help that one. It's a time to
start the summer (unofficially), but more importantly, to remember our
fallen soldiers. My wife and I got a lot done over the weekend. The pool
is open, and without much anticipated problems. My vegetables are planted,
as are all of my flowers (at least for now). I've started laying down more
loam and mulch, but it's been so humid that I've tired quickly - it's going
to be a slow process!
I've been trying to cut some expenses around here lately to help conserve
some money. For many years, I've had multiple phone lines because I used to
run a BBS,as well as have a dedicated internet line (I hated tying up the
house line). Well, with our upgrading our cell phone services, I cut out
long distance service on the house line, as well as finally getting the
other two lines disconnected. We then ordered DSL service to speed up
things during our internet use. We ordered Verizon DSL, and what a mess!
We got everything from Verizon, but had to wait for them to hook us up
externally. When they completed that, they somehow knocked out our phone
service! That took a couple of days to resolve. Then we attempted to
install the DSL hardware and software inside the house. Notice that I said
attempted! We hooked up all of the phone filters, and double-checked to
make sure that we did everything as explained in the instructions. We then
hooked up the modem - we had to use my wife's machine when we discovered
that mine didn't have an ethernet card inside. Okay, so everything got
installed fine, and the software was now testing our DSL connection, and
kept failing. We checked, and re-checked all of our connections. We undid
everything, and started over again. Same result - no connection. We called
tech support - twice. The first call ended up with our being told that we
had done something wrong, to re-check everything. We did everything over
again, again (nothing changed!). Still nothing. We called a second time
the next day and was told that there was no DSL signal...on their end! The
clue was the modem's DSL signal was flashing, and the tech person also
could not detect a good signal. Someone would be dispatched to the site,
the next day. We were guaranteed that this would be resolved within 48
hours. Two days later, my wife called me from work and asked if everything
was all set. Nope. Later that evening, the service tech called and said
that things "appeared" okay, but he was still seeing "stuff" that he didn't
like, so he was still working on it. Got another call a few hours later and
was told all was well. So, we went through the software installation all
over again. We were progressing further than before, and then the software
locked up! Started all over again, and this time we were successful. We
tested out my wife's system and it seemed like things were faster. But, it
was late, so we decided to try again the next day. Meanwhile, I wanted to
get my system up and running at DSL speeds! Nothing. When the tech support
folks called the next day to let us know all was well, I asked what I needed
to get my system up to speed (pun intended!). When he learned that I didn't
have an ethernet card in my system, that was what I needed to get. So, I
went out to our local electronics store, and got a card. I haven't
installed it yet, trying to get some more work done outside before the rains
began. I'm hoping that by the time you read this, I'll be running at
supersonic speeds.
So, what's the point of all this? Well, I was hoping to somehow do an
analogy of using our Atari machines - remembering what it was like to go
from speeds like 1200 baud to 19,200 baud, and comparing dial-up speeds on
a PC to the faster speeds of broadband. I thought that it would be fun,
especially remembering the days of 1200 and slowly moving to ultra-high
speeds at 19,200! I'll try to have that little story soon.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
TeraDesk 3.82 Released
Version 3.82 of TeraDesk open-source desktop is available at:
http://solair.eunet.yu/~vdjole/teradesk.htm
Functionality of some features was improved, several bugs were fixed and
the hypertext manual updated.
See the history file for more information.
Have fun.
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, we've finally gotten some
non-liquid weather here in the northeast. I'll talk a little more
about that in a minute, but first I want to apologize for not
having a column in last week's issue.
It seems that the UseNet posts are getting thinner and thinner, and
there are more and more times when there just isn't enough 'meat'
to make a decent column. But rest assured; as long as there's
someone out there who wants to sit down with this magazine and this
column, I'll be here.
Okay, now on to 'that weather thing'...
You may have noticed that I've been talking about the weather more
and more lately. Well, that's for two reasons.
First, my other favorite subject... politics... just doesn't fit
into a computer-related column no matter how much I try. Besides,
you already know what YOU think about things, right? You don't
really need me to point things out to you. Oh sure, I could point
things out and endlessly jab at the soft, white underbelly of the
establishment, but if you're not inclined to do likewise already,
my feeble intellect isn't going to sway you.
Second, the weather is getting stranger and stranger all the time.
We're expecting more and stronger hurricanes this season, the
moisture pendulum is swinging from too wet to too dry too often and
too fast, and we still waste our time arguing about whether it's a
natural phenomenon or not. Whether it is or not, wouldn't it make
sense to try to keep things in check a little bit? Do we really
want to argue about whether or not we're changing the climate
ourselves, or whether it's a "nature thing" while temperatures
rise, glaciers shrink and deserts expand? Think about the "great
trans-Kansas dustbowl and growing cotton and sugar cane in
Anchorage. At that point, will it matter if it's a natural cycle or
if fossil fuel exhaust caused it?
The President was wrong, by the way... we're not addicted to oil.
We're addicted to ENERGY. Whether it be nuclear, fossil fuel,
solar, wind, wave or squirrel cage, we crave energy.
Like many of you, I'm not old enough to remember the way things were
during World War II, but I'm old enough to remember gas lines and
alternate-day rationing from the late 70's.
Remember the craze we all went through for fuel-efficient cars? Car
pooling? Consolidating trips to stores? Turning the thermostat down
and donning a sweater? Any of this ringing a bell?
We don't seem to want to do that anymore. Of course, the oil
companies know this, and have done a very good job of keeping the
supply lines open so that we don't get the idea that conservation
would be a good thing. Hell, it didn't fix the problem back in the
70's, did it?
What we need right now is a reason to conserve, a reason to think
about what we're doing instead of just resigning ourselves to
paying a little bit more.
Notice how I said all of that without pointing fingers at anyone in
particular? Even with that part about the oil companies, I wasn't
really pointing a finger. They're simply doing what they can to
keep things on an even keel and keep their profits rolling in.
Whether or not it's their prime consideration, wild fluctuations in
the supply of fuel would cause a sort of society-wide wave...
perhaps even and economic tsunami that would sweep in, swamping
everything, and then retreat from whence it had come, sucking most
of the more subtle and delicate things in its path with it.
Well, I'm going to bring the sermon to a close now, but the next
time you top off the tank, leave the computer running 24/7, leave
the lights on so that passers-by don't know that you're not home,
or run the dishwasher for a couple of plates and a set of flatware,
think about saving a couple of pints of oil or gasoline, a couple
of cubic feet of natural gas, a shovel full of coal or a thimble full
of plutonium pellets. This is step one, so you don't even need to
feel that you MUST change your habits. As with many of the problems
that we face, all you need to do is THINK. If you do that often
enough and well enough, a solution will often present itself.
Well, let's get to the news, hint, tips and info from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
'Cyril' asks for help with his NovaScan:
"WIth N.AES 2.0, I have a problem with Novascan. Black and white
scanning is ok, but grey and colour scans don't work correctly. I
get a strange image. With MagiC and MyAeS, it's ok. An ideas?"
Martin Tarenskeen asks Cyril:
"If you prefer MiNT instead of Magic; have you tried a recent
FreeMiNT 1.16.x with XaAES kernel module? I think in the current
state XaAES has surpassed N.AES 2.0."
Everyone's favorite techie, Alison, asks about SCSI drives:
"What is the arrangement with SCSI hard drives and the Atari ST?
I've just acquired an ICD LINK adapter and am trawling the web at
the moment for lowish GB SCSI1 50-pin drives.
The Seagates seem to come out top as there's specifically a 'parity'
jumper on them.
Can 68pin or 80pin drives be used with an adapter, or does the 16bit
transfers create an issue?
Would it be possible for someone to give me an idea of what I'm
looking for? As trawling eBay at the moment I can pick up plenty of
these Compaq ultrawide drive pulls, assuming they have a SCSI1 mode
and can perform 8 bit transfers.
The ICD Link btw will recognize my SCSI Cumana (was for Acorn BBC
Archimedes) drive, so is assumed to be functional."
David Wade tells Alison:
"I am not sure of the Link supports SCSI command passthrough. If it
does then almost any SCSI drive should work. However I suggest that
you get a copy of HD-Driver. I have a TT-030 which has a built in
SCSI adaptor. I have a pile of (8 I think) 1 and 2Gbyte SCSI
drives next to it. I also have copies of several version of AHDI,
CBHD and HD Driver.All the SCSI disks in the pile work on a PC
with an Adaptec SCSI adaptor.
However on my TT only HD Driver works correctly with most of the
drives. AHDI almost always sees the drive, and appears to format
them.. But it won't ever create a partition. CBHD sometimes creates
a partition but then manages to corrupt the data. After all this
messing around I began to think my TT was duff. However I managed
to create a partition with CBHD and the demo version of HD Driver
then accessed this flawlessly. So I bought a copy of HD Driver and
all seems great. I must admit I don't use the thing very often
these days....
Would you like some samples from my pile of SCSI drives.
If you want I'll format a couple up with HD Driver (but not install
the driver) so you may then be able to access it with the demo
version..."
Alison tells David:
"Definitely wouldn't say no to some SCSI drives to play with :)
Ideally like to start small and with 50-pin. Name your price!"
The last word on hard drives, Dr. Uwe Seimet, adds:
"HDX is known for often reporting that it could not write the root
sector, and in this case it is impossible to create a partition.
But even if AHDI were able to partition a drive one would not have
much fun with drives bigger than 1 GB because AHDI cannot access
more than the first GB of a SCSI drive. AHDI does not know/use the
SCSI commands required for accessing sectors beyond the first GB.
Note that formatting a drive is never required if a drive does not
have bad sectors. Depending on the drive formatting can take a long
time. Partitioning a drive is always sufficient, even if it was
previously used with another platform, because partitioning creates
new filesystems and simply overwrites any old stuff."
Alan Hourihane adds his experiences:
"I've successfully used a SCA 80pin to 50 pin adapter with my Atari
TT030 and a Seagate ST34572WC drive. A couple of others didn't even
get recognized, like a Quantum & DEC. I've also used an IBM DCHS
drive too."
Ivan Capan asks about using floppy images on the ST:
"I have lots of files on the PC with a .ST extension and I want to
transfer them to floppies. Is there a way to put the floppy in
Atari, which is connected with PC in some way (I have a null-modem
cable), and use some program to write the image byte by byte to
Atari onto its floppy drive?
I used wfdcopy with PC floppy drive but it was unreliable, throwing
some errors, bad sectors etc. Floppies were HD with hole taped over
to make them DD. Probably troubles with PC drive. I had some DD
floppies but I got the same results."
Edward Baiz asks Ivan:
"Does the ST have a HD. If so, use StarCall on the ST, a Null modem
cable and a Telcom program for the PC. You can also use Ghostlink
for the ST which is designed to work with the ST using a Null Modem
cable. If you cannot find it, email me and I will email it to you."
Rinaldus Drybone asks about using PAL formatted games on and NTSC
ST:
"I have a question about PAL and NTSC games:
Will PAL games work on NTSC machines?
What about games which use the higher PAL resolution, that means
opened borders or something like sync scrolling?
I know that NTSC games work on PAL machines. Some do switch to 60Hz,
but that's no big deal when you have an SC1224 or some RGB
monitor."
Greg Goodwin tells Rinaldus:
"The answer is yes ... (usually at least).
I have several games I purchased mail order from England. (I'm in
the USA.) They all work on my STe/SC1224 combination, since the
monitor can switch to 50 Hz. (Unfortunately, I can see a flicker
at 50 Hz, but it isn't too bad -- your eyesight may vary.) On the
other hand, I don't know if all PAL games can be so played. It
could be that all the ones I purchased were intentionally written
to be compatible."
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Nintendo's Wii To Be Blockbuster?
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Wii Wins Awards At E3!
PS3 More Than A Game!
And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Survey: Nintendo's Wii Expected To Be Blockbuster
Nintendo's forthcoming next-generation console, the Wii, is already
sparking a craze among consumers, according to a new survey that suggests
the Wii could be the next blockbuster hit in the gaming world.
Japanese video game magazine Famitsu, which conducted the survey, found
that 68.8 percent of respondents are looking forward to the Wii in contrast
to only 21 percent awaiting the PlayStation 3.
The report also indicated that 88.4 percent of respondents said the
PlayStation 3 was priced too high, while only 10.9 percent thought the
price was about right.
Last week, Nintendo formally revealed that it will be pricing the Wii at
$250 even though its competitors are pricing their next-gen systems at much
higher levels.
Microsoft's Xbox 360, released last November, is priced at $400, while
Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 3 is set at $499.
Although the exact launch date has not been set for the Wii, Nintendo said
it plans to ship six million of the systems between when it launches later
this year and the end of March 2007.
In addition, the company is expecting to sell some 17 million Wii games in
the same period.
"When consoles first come out, the price is at its peak," said Michael
Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research. "You can always lower the
price, but you can't raise it. It's part of the strategy."
Early adopters tend to pay a higher price, he said, pointing out that to be
a leader in video games, it takes more than low prices. A lot comes down to
the game titles, he said, such as what titles are offered and what's
available for the holiday season.
"It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out," he noted.
Nintendo Wii Wins Top Video Game Critics' Award
Video game critics on Wednesday honoured Nintendo's Wii console and
Electronic Arts' upcoming "Spore" video game for bringing fresh ideas to
the $28.5 billion (15 billion pounds) industry that has been criticized for
relying on films for inspiration and on game sequels for sales.
Critics crowned the Wii "Best of Show" after game enthusiasts at the recent
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) waited hours to get their hands on the
Nintendo Co. Ltd. machine due later this year. They raved about how its new
controller allowed them to play sports games like tennis and football much
in the same way they are played in real life.
"It's a great story and it's something different," said Geoff Keighley,
co-chairman of the Game Critics Awards, an independent group of journalists
from 37 North American media outlets that cover the video game industry.
"It proves that you don't necessarily have to spend $20 billion on a big
blockbuster game to stay competitive and get attention," he said, referring
to the rapidly rising cost of developing games for Sony Corp.'s upcoming
PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.
Creating games for the Wii is expected to be far less expensive than for
the PS3 and Xbox 360, super-charged machines that boast eye-popping
graphics capabilities and cost about twice as much as Nintendo's upcoming
console.
Wii also won for "Best Hardware" and Nintendo's "Wii Sports" title took
home the prize for "Best Sports Game."
EA's "Spore" - last year's "Best of Show" winner - won "Best Original
Game," "Best PC Game" and "Best Simulation Game."
"Spore" is the brainchild of "The Sims" creator Will Wright. The game
promises to let players take a creature from its cellular beginnings all
the way through to missions of interstellar conquest.
Other winners include Epic Games and Microsoft Game Studios' "Gears of War"
and UbiSoft's "Assassin's Creed."
Keighley called the new pool of ideas a good sign for the industry, which
has begun to show signs of fatigue as its audience tires of sequels and
film-inspired games.
"It shows that this industry can create great ideas that are also great
games. It's also great to see that publishers are willing to bet big with
original property," Keighley said.
The PS3: More Than A Game
If Sony suffers any more missteps in bringing its PlayStation 3 video game
console to market, its entire consumer electronics business strategy could
be in jeopardy.
Now delayed until mid-November, the PS3 is more than just the next
generation of game machine for the $26.6-billion-a-year video game industry
that Sony dominates. It's also the centerpiece of Sony's (Research) plan to
own the global standards for high-definition video and consumer-data
storage and to create a common microprocessor platform that will enable
Sony products to share music, video, and data seamlessly, thus becoming the
master controller of the digital ecosystem.
Sony slept through the dawn of digital media. Now a Welsh-born American
former media executive is charged with overhauling the company that once
symbolized the rise of postwar Japan. Can Sir Howard Stringer and his
polyglot crew wake the company up?
November launch might disappoint some, but it could be just what the system
needs.
Analysts, developers say they expect Sony's new console to break new price
barriers.
But the Blu-ray Disc high-definition DVD player and the Cell
microprocessor, the heart and brain of the PS3, are expensive to make,
forcing Sony not just to delay the PS3 to the brink of the 2006 holiday
season but also to price the basic and enhanced PS3 consoles at $499 and
$599, respectively, much higher than any previous game machines and at
least $200 above their next-generation rivals, Microsoft's (Research) Xbox
360 and Nintendo's Wii.
Analysts at Merrill Lynch calculate that the Cell microprocessor costs $230
to make, and the Blu-ray optical drive about $350. Along with a hard drive,
memory chips, and other costs, Merrill Lynch says, Sony's bill of goods for
each PS3 could be more than $715.
If those numbers are correct - Sony declines to comment - and if Sony hits
its target of shipping four million PS3s by the end of the year, Sony could
lose close to $1 billion this year on the hardware alone, adding to huge
costs for PS3 development and marketing.
Despite the losses, Sony could win big by populating the world with
millions of Blu-ray high-definition DVD players, tipping the advantage to
Sony in the battle to establish Blu-ray as the global standard for
next-generation DVD systems, over the rival HD-DVD format supported by
Toshiba and Microsoft.
Microsoft executives are gleeful at Sony's delays and high pricing for the
PS3. Bill Gates says his company will have sold ten million Xbox 360
systems by the time the PS3 and Nintendo's Wii reach store shelves.
Conceding that the PS3 is "very expensive," Ken Kutaragi, head of Sony's
games business, told a Japanese Web site earlier this year that he expects
"consumers to think to themselves, 'I will work more hours to buy one.' We
want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."
He has also said the PS3 is "not a game machine." Rather, he says, it is a
"machine with supercomputer calculation capabilities for home
entertainment."
If Kutaragi-san's calculations are wrong, the big game could be over. If
he's right, Sony could once again become the world's dominant consumer
electronics giant.
For Immediate Release
America's Videogame Expo Forms Advisory Board
VGXPO forms "Dream Team"
PHILADELPHIA, PA - June 2, 2006. America's VideoGame Expo (VGXPO) Thursday
announced the formation of its advisory board. The board was created to
steward the evolution of VGXPO and help it become the premier event for
videogame consumers. Comprised of experts in videogame development,
marketing communications, and journalism, Ed Fleming, Director of the
VGXPO, named eight industry luminaries as charter members:
# Bill Rehbock - Director Developer Relations, Nvidia
# David Perry - Founder Shiny Entertainment; Founder GameConsultants.COM
# Howard Phillips - Design Manager, Microsoft
# Jamil Moledina - Executive Director, Game Developers Conference
# Jo Clowes - Producer, Microsoft Games Studios
# Joseph Olin - President, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
# Bill Kunkel (a.k.a. The Game Doctor) - Co-Founder, Electronic Games; Game
Designer; College Professor
# Tommy Tallarico - Co-producer Judgment Day and The Electric Playground;
Founder of Video Games Live, Founder; President of the Game Audio Network
Guild
To move VGXPO to the forefront of the gaming industry Fleming assembled
a strong team of industry leaders and visionaries. "These folks are at
the top of their game and this advisory board is America's VideoGame
Expo's 'Dream Team'," stated Fleming. "The key asset each of these
people brings to VGXPO is their love of videogames and belief that game
players should have an industry event dedicated to them."
The mission of the Advisory Board includes three core areas:
# Provide evangelism to the game industry for a consumer-oriented videogame
convention.
# Develop avenues to publicly honor game industry stars, icons and legends.
Including selecting Life Time Achievement Award recipients and inductees
in the VideoGame Hall of Fame.
# Define the overall scope and direction of future VGXPO events.
"It is so important for our industry to have events which help to
preserve our history and promote the amazing community of fans," said
Tommy Tallarico, founder of VideoGames Live. "VGXPO does both
successfully and I look forward to helping it grow even bigger over the
next few years."
"Imagine a videogame expo that examines the industry from the
perspectives of the past, present and future. Now think about getting a
chance to meet and greet the largely mysterious creators who shape these
games. Toss in hundreds of arcade, PC and home game systems, and areas
devoted to every aspect of the videogame universe. Sound like fun? Then
I'll see you there," said game industry veteran Bill Kunkel. "If America
is going to get the open-to-the-public national videogame expo it
deserves, this is the organization and these are the people who will do
it."
"Most popular forms of entertainment, be they films, comic books, or TV
shows, have conventions for fan communities to gather and meet with each
other and some of the creators of their passion," said Jamil Moledina,
executive director of the Game Developers Conference. "Videogame fans
deserve this access too, and VGXPO delivers that experience for them --
and fills a critical gap in modern popular culture."
For more information regarding America's VideoGame Expo, visit us on the
web at www.VGXPO.com
America's VideoGame Expo, based in Philadelphia, is part of Lunar Tide
Communications, Inc. a company that develops videogame related events
and educational services. It's core service, the VideoGame.Net
Experience, is an educational program that teaches students in 6th
through 12th grades videogame design and production. Since 2003, the
VideoGame.Net Experience curriculum has been taught to over 1000
students.
Now in its second year, America's VideoGame Expo was created to provide
US game players with conventions on par with similar international game
events, such as the Tokyo Game Show, Korea's G-Star convention and the
German G|C expo. In 2005, VGXPO attracted 17,000 attendees and over 40
exhibitors. For 2006, VGXPO will take place, October 27-29, at the
Valley Forge Convention Center, in Philadelphia, PA.
Contact:
Susan Fleming
610-668-1636
vgxpo2006-pr@vgxpo.com
www.vgxpo.com
America's VideoGame Expo Logo Available:
http://www.vgxpo.com/images/vgxpologo.jpg (72 dpi)
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Microsoft Rumored To Be Planning eBay Buyout
The latest rumor to sweep the world of high tech claims that Microsoft has
its eyes on eBay for a possible buyout. Last week, a report in the New York
Post said that Microsoft has engaged in preliminary talks with eBay about
acquiring the online auction company and merging it with MSN.
Microsoft and eBay declined to comment. "The information out in the public
is speculation and the company does not comment on rumors," said an eBay
spokesperson. A spokesperson for Microsoft said much the same thing.
But bloggers, industry analysts, and others have been speculating about
what a move on Microsoft's part might mean.
"[Microsoft] can either improve MSN to make it more of a real competitor to
Google, or it can take a different approach, for example by buying eBay,"
said Martin Reynolds, an analyst at Gartner. "Google is quietly creeping up
on Microsoft, and eBay would take Microsoft in a whole new direction."
Reynolds also said that eBay's acquisition of Internet telephony firm Skype
last year would be an added bonus for Microsoft. "But buying eBay would be
an expensive acquisition for Microsoft," he warned.
Stacey Quandt, an analyst at Aberdeen Group, agreed with Reynolds that
acquiring eBay would transform Microsoft.
"If Microsoft purchases eBay, it would certainly invigorate MSN and create
a stronger community due to the growing use of Skype and PayPal," she said.
"A dramatic gesture of this sort is needed to achieve the promise of MSN to
be a leading content- and services-delivery model."
Avivah Litan, an analyst at Gartner, warned of the possible downside. "I
can understand MSN's motivation in potentially acquiring eBay, but it would
be a major negative for eBay shareholder value," she said.
"Microsoft has no expertise in actual commerce and transactions, and there
is no natural synergy between the two companies other than that they both
have a major Internet presence," she said. "Surely, there are less painful
ways to improve the stakes for MSN."
The eBay-Microsoft merger rumors follow last week's announcement that eBay
has agreed to a wide-ranging partnership with Yahoo. Under the terms of
that deal, Yahoo will become the exclusive provider of all graphical
advertisements on eBay, and will deliver sponsored search listings for
products on some eBay pages.
At the same time, Yahoo is putting eBay's PayPal platform in its
online-wallet system so customers can pay for the Web portal's services
through their PayPal accounts.
Windows Live OneCare Hits the Streets
On Wednesday, Microsoft launched a new security service called Windows Live
OneCare. Likening the service to a "pit crew" for consumer PCs, Microsoft
said the software will fend off malicious attacks with antivirus and
antispyware capabilities, plus a personal firewall.
Windows Live OneCare is designed to circumvent what for many consumers is
a frustrating and confusing experience as they attempt to protect their PCs
from the constant threat of viruses and spyware. Going one step further
than security, the service also is designed to simplify basic
PC-maintenance functions, like backing up files, that many users typically
forego.
"Windows Live OneCare delivers what millions of consumers have been asking
for: one source for top-to-bottom maintenance, support, and performance
optimization tools plus increased protection that takes the worry out of
PC care," said Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and chief software architect,
in a statement announcing the new offering.
Windows Live OneCare, which has been in its testing phase since November,
includes several tune-up applications in addition to the security software.
So-called janitorial tasks, such as disk cleanup and disk optimization, are
performed automatically according to a user-configurable schedule.
In addition, the service provides users with the ability to monitor PC
startup times. Slow boot-up times can indicate a potential performance
problem, which OneCare is designed to fix. In addition, OneCare allows
users to back up system information and other data onto CDs, DVDs, or
external hard drives at preset intervals.
The OneCare service is currently available for download at
http://onecare.live.com and will debut as a boxed offering at retailers on
June 4. The software costs $49.95 for an annual subscription that can be
applied to three computers simultaneously.
According to Andrew Jaquith, an analyst at Yankee Group, OneCare's primary
significance is that it signals Microsoft's intent to become a serious
player in consumer security software.
The OneCare launch came on the same day that security firm McAfee announced
Falcon, a OneCare-like offering that the company intends to ship this year.
In addition, Symantec is readying its own all-in-one security offering,
called Norton 360, that will compete with both OneCare and Falcon.
"OneCare, McAfee Falcon, and Symantec 360 are all aiming at the sweet spot
of antispyware, antivirus, and threat management," Jaquith explained.
That McAfee and Symantec are also launching their own all-in-one security
services indicates that they see Microsoft as a real threat, said Rob
Ayoub, an analyst at Frost & Sullivan. Because all three services will
offer very similar features, Ayoub said, the deciding factor for consumers
will come down to personal preference and how well the services are
marketed.
The benefit from all this security activity, Ayoub said, is that average
computer users will have a better chance of protecting their computers.
"Any time you see a new wave of innovation like we're seeing with these
products, that's good for consumers," Jaquith said.
Google Has No Plan for Its Own Web Browser
Google Inc. has no plans to build its own Web browser software to compete
with rival Microsoft Corp., Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday.
During a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Schmidt dismissed
speculation that the company aimed to tie together its Web search and other
services to compete with Microsoft's Internet Explorer, the world's
dominant Web browser.
"It looks like people have some good browser choices already," Schmidt
said. "We would not build a browser for the fun of building a browser," he
added.
Google encourages its customers to use a variety of alternatives to
Internet Explorer, particularly the open-source Firefox browser.
It also has partnerships to encourage the use of the Safari browser among
Apple Computer Inc. customers, Norway's Opera Software ASA, which makes
browsers for computers and phones, among several other browser
alternatives, he said.
However, Schmidt left the door open to developing a browser if it saw some
clear utility to users that was not otherwise being met in the market. "We
would only do something ... if we thought there was a real end-user
benefit," he said.
The Google executive has consistently downplayed questions about its
ambitions to develop its own browser software by saying that the underlying
assumption is that Google is taking up the battle that Web browser pioneer
Netscape Communications Corp. lost to Microsoft during the 1990s.
Schmidt argues that the landscape of the computer industry has been changed
by the dynamics of Web search advertising and the decade-old "battle for
the desktop" waged by Microsoft and its competitors is quickly becoming
less relevant.
Vista Will Have Its Own Internet Explorer 7
At Microsoft these days, it seems that everything that was old is new again
in Windows Vista. The software giant has added Internet Explorer 7 to the
list of programs that will get a complete Vista makeover.
Christened IE7+, the new version of the Web browser boasts added security
features not available in the current version currently in beta testing.
Microsoft's Tony Schreiner announced the new version of the IE browser on
the company's Internet Explorer blog.
While all current versions of IE are basically the same, IE7+ is enhanced
with the addition of Windows Vista-only features such as a protected mode,
new parental controls, and improved network diagnostics, Schreiner wrote.
"Features like IE7 protected mode, which runs IE in low rights, are doable
because of features that are part of Windows Vista," said Michael Silver,
an analyst at Gartner. "We think the User Account Control in general,
including protected mode in IE7+, will be one of the most compelling
features of Windows Vista for enterprises."
With the extensive parental-control features, adults will be able to limit
and monitor a child's access to the Internet. Parents will be able to
prohibit access to certain Internet sites and control which applications
the child can use.
Parents also will have access to a detailed report that shows exactly what
Web sites the child visited and the applications used.
The Microsoft team wound up with the IE7+ name because the "naming gives us
an easy way to refer to this version, Schreiner wrote. "'The version of IE7
in Vista' doesn't roll off the tongue as easily."
If nothing else, said Silver, the name "IE7+" really makes the point that
the version of Internet Explorer 7 in Vista is different than the version
in XP.
Nitin Gupta, an analyst at Yankee Group, said that although it is
understandable that Microsoft would not be able to make the XP version of
Internet Explorer 7 as secure as the Vista version, the company needs to
be extremely careful with how it communicates the difference to users.
"Most Internet users do not proactively switch browsers," Gupta said. "For
the group of Internet users that do, security concerns are an important
driver."
Dell Debuts XPS Computers for Gaming, Entertainment
Dell Inc. on Wednesday rolled out three new personal computers aimed at
consumers who are willing to pay a premium for machines they use to play
games, music and video.
Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell Product Group, said the XPS
M1210, XPS M2010 and XPS 700 are aimed at "a more discerning, premium
customer."
The move comes as the No. 1 PC maker is looking for ways to boost profits
as competition drives down PC prices.
The XPS M1210 and M2010 are multimedia-ready laptops that further extend
the company's video game-oriented XPS line into entertainment.
Dell has been expanding its selection of gaming PCs, which require more
power and sophisticated graphics and can sell for five to 10 times as much
as desktop PCs.
Wednesday marked the debut of the four-pound XPS M1210, a multimedia and
gaming laptop, with a starting price of $1,300.
The sleek XPS M2010, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in
January, has a 20-inch, high-definition wide-screen monitor, eight speakers
and other features. It looks like an artists' portfolio when carried by its
owner. Prices start at $3,500.
Also available is the XPS 700, a desktop computer for video game
enthusiasts. Prices range from $2,300 to $3,500 for out-of-the-box systems.
FBI Wants Internet Records Kept Two Years
The Federal Bureau of Investigation wants U.S. Internet providers to retain
Web address records for up to two years to aid investigations into
terrorism and pornography, a source familiar with the matter said on
Thursday.
The request came during a May 26 meeting between U.S. Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller with top executives at
companies like Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL.
"I think there is less of a willingness to passively go along with this
type of request than there might have been a year ago," said the source,
mentioning the recent uproar over a report that telephone companies had
provided call records to the National Security Agency.
A Justice Department spokesman confirmed the meeting but was not
immediately available to comment on how long law enforcement officials
wanted the records retained.
"This meeting was an initial discussion for the Attorney General to gather
information and to solicit input from Internet service provider executives
on the issues associated with data retention," said spokesman Brian
Roehrkasse.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gonzales presented
blurred images of child pornography and explained why he thought retaining
data was important to those investigations. At issue was Internet protocol
addresses.
When one industry executive questioned how long the government wanted the
records kept, Mueller said for two years and that the data would also be
used for anti-terrorism purposes, said the source.
The Justice Department has tangled before with Internet companies over
gaining access to records, subpoenaing search data from Google to defend
an online pornography law. The government cut the size of its demand and
Google acquiesced.
In that instance, Microsoft and Yahoo Inc. had turned over search
information after receiving assurances that no specific customer data was
involved.
The IP address is key to unlocking what a person does online, what site
they visited what terms they searched, who they e-mailed and what they
downloaded, the source noted. Internet providers usually change the address
data within several days to several weeks.
Two big high-speed Internet service providers, Verizon Communications and
Comcast Corp., also attended the meeting last week, the source said.
The Justice Department spokesman said Internet companies would retain the
information and the government would only gain access to the records
through legal means like a subpoena. "Internet service providers would
retain the information," Roehrkasse said.
If Congress is going to be asked to pass legislation ordering Internet
providers to retain data they won't be asked for content of that data but
rather addresses e-mails were sent and sites they visited, Roehrkasse said.
Recommendations are expected to be submitted to Gonzales in the next
several weeks, according to another source.
Data retention is a "complicated issue with implications not only for
efforts to combat child pornography but also for security, privacy, safety,
and availability of low-cost or free Internet services," said Microsoft
senior security strategist Phil Reitinger.
Google spokesman Steve Langdon said proposals by the United States and
European Union on data retention "require careful review and must balance
the legitimate interests of individual users, law enforcement agencies, and
Internet companies."
The Justice Department's chief privacy officer on Thursday met with a group
of officials from rights groups including the Electronic Privacy
Information Center, the Center for American Progress, Cato Institute, the
Center for Democracy and Technology, Roehrkasse said.
The American Civil Liberties Union was also invited but did not attend, he
said. Other Justice Department officials were meeting with victims rights
groups and law enforcement groups to discuss the same issues.
World Media Chiefs Tell China To End Cyber Censorship
Global press leaders told China to stop Internet censorship and free all
detained cyber-dissidents, and they slammed Western companies that helped
it develop software that prevents Chinese citizens from accessing
information on human rights and democracy.
They called on China "to end its pervasive censorship of the Internet,
release all journalists and cyber-dissidents currently detained and remove
all restrictions that discourage an open and free media environment in the
country."
Members of the International Press Institute (IPI), a global body of
editors, leading journalists and media executives, unanimously adopted the
firm line at their annual general assembly in the Scottish capital
Edinburgh.
China has the second-largest number of online users in the world after the
United States, with more than 130 million Chinese accessing the Internet,
said the institute dedicated to press freedom.
But as the web has grown in popularity, the Chinese authorities have
maintained control over information.
"The Chinese government is working closely with Western companies eager to
enter the lucrative Chinese technology market to develop software that
prevents Chinese citizens from accessing information on human rights and
democracy," the IPI resolution said.
"Those companies should not cooperate with censorship and should not supply
information about users that can be used to prosecute journalists."
The IPI said that at least 30 people were in Chinese jails on freedom of
expression charges.
These include Ching Cheong, a journalist with Singapore's Straits Times
newspaper, who faces espionage charges, and New York Times researcher Zhao
Yan.
"IPI members are convinced that progress in China is undermined by the
state's cynical exploitation of Western technology, unnecessary legislation
and encouragement of self-censorship," the resolution said.
Internet search engine Google raised eyebrows in January when it launched
its new service for China, google.cn, after agreeing to censor websites
and content banned by the nation's propaganda chiefs.
Delegates in Edinburgh heard Sunday that Google had the choice between
delivering the vast majority of information that it could, in line with
local laws, or not operating in China at all.
Google principle scientist Krishna Bharat said: "As an information
provider, denying people information does not seem like a good choice."
The IPI's three-day congress brings together some 450 participants from
60-odd countries to debate burning issues for the world's press.
Apple Loses Court Bid To Identify Sources
A state appeals court on Friday rejected Apple Computer Inc.'s bid to
identify the sources of leaked product information that appeared on Web
sites, ruling that online reporters and bloggers are entitled to the same
protections as traditional journalists.
"In no relevant respect do they appear to differ from a reporter or editor
for a traditional business-oriented periodical who solicits or otherwise
comes into possession of confidential internal information about a
company," Justice Conrad Rushing of the 6th District Court of Appeal wrote
in a unanimous 69-page ruling.
"We decline the implicit invitation to embroil ourselves in questions of
what constitutes 'legitimate journalism," he wrote. "The shield law is
intended to protect the gathering and dissemination of news, and that is
what petitioners did here."
The online journalists are thus entitled to the protections provided under
California's shield law as well as the privacy protections for e-mails
allowed under federal law, the court ruled.
Two years ago, Apple went to court seeking to identify the culprits behind
the leak of confidential information about an unreleased product code-named
as "Asteroid" to online media outlets.
Apple contended it was entitled to identify the sources - presumed in this
case to be company employees - because the leak constituted a violation of
trade secrets. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company subpoenaed the Internet
service providers of three online journalists to turn over e-mail records
aiming to uncover the possible sources.
A lower court last year ruled in Apple's favor, but the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, whose attorneys represent the online journalists of
AppleInsider.com, PowerPage.org and MacNN.com appealed.
The appeals court based in San Jose sided with the civil liberties
organization, overturning the lower court's decision. The three-member
appellate panel agreed not only with the group's constitutional arguments
but also the contention that Apple failed to exhaust other investigative
options to root out the source before going to court and issuing subpoenas.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation called the ruling "a huge win."
"Today's decision is a victory for the rights of journalists, whether
online or offline, and for the public at large," said the group's staff
attorney Kurt Opsahl, who argued the case before the appeals court last
month.
Password-Stealing Trojan Spreads
A fresh round of spam with a password-stealing Trojan horse detected this
week uses a German-language pitch, saying the malicious attachment is an
official Microsoft Windows update.
The attached malware, called "Trojan-PSW.Win32.Sinowal.u" by antivirus
software developer Kaspersky Lab, is a next-generation Trojan that's on the
rise, said Roel Schouwenberg, a senior research engineer with the company.
The Sinowal family of malware was first detected in December, and first
seeded on malicious Web sites.
If a user visited the site and did not have a properly patched browser, the
software would install itself, allowing it to harvest login and password
information for some European banks' Web sites, Schouwenberg said. The
Sinowal family of malware may have been created in Russia, since the
malware code contains some Russian, he said.
The latest spam messages have a ".de" e-mail address. Rather depending on
a browser exploit to install itself, the latest version of Sinowal tries
to trick users into installing it. The message, written in German, claims
that a new worm is on the loose, and that the recipient should run the
attached file to protect their system.
Schouwenberg said the malware writers may have decided to send it by mass
e-mail if the browser exploit approach wasn't working as well.
The Sinowal Trojan is a type of "man-in-the-middle" malware. Even if a user
has started a Secure Sockets Layer transaction with a bank, the Sinowal
Trojan can insert HTML code that causes a pop-up window asking for a user
name and password. It is programmed to react to certain bank Web sites.
"This is something we are going to see more and more and really make life
hard," Schouwenberg said.
It's unique since it then sends that information immediately to the
hacker's server rather than storing the information for periodic
transmission, Schouwenberg said. The Trojan is also capable of checking for
updates of itself.
Amnesty Seeks To End Internet Repression
Amnesty International marked its 45th anniversary on Sunday by launching a
global campaign to stamp out state censorship of the Internet.
The human rights pressure group called on Web users to sign a pledge
calling on governments to stop censoring sites and urging technology
corporations not to collude with them.
Arguing that online censorship is a new threat to freedom, Amnesty claimed
to have uncovered Internet repression in areas around the world from China
and Tunisia to Vietnam, Iran, Israel and the Maldives.
Calling for the release of "cyber dissidents" jailed for expressing their
political views online, Amnesty said Internet cafes are being shut down,
computers seized, chat rooms monitored and blogs deleted.
"The Internet is a huge, powerful tool. We see governments censoring access
to the Internet or locking people up for having conversations about
democracy and freedom," said Kate Allen, UK director of Amnesty
International.
Launching a new irrepressible.info Web site to challenge Internet
censorship, Allen said "I call on governments to stop the unwarranted
restriction of freedom of expression and on companies to stop helping them
do it."
The world's largest Internet providers have become embroiled in an
international debate about Web censorship, especially in China.
Earlier this month, Yahoo Inc. said it was seeking the U.S. government's
help in urging China to allow more media freedom after reports linking
information it gave to Chinese authorities with the jailing of a dissident.
The case was the latest to highlight conflicts of profit and principle for
Internet companies in the world's second biggest Internet market.
Web search leader Google Inc, has come under fire for saying it would block
politically sensitive terms on its new China site, bowing to conditions set
by Beijing.
The new campaign for freedom on the information superhighway was launched
in the Observer newspaper. In 1961, an article by Peter Benenson in the
same newspaper, calling on governments to stop persecution, led to Amnesty
being founded.
Corporations accused of collusion were quick to defend themselves in the
newspaper with Yahoo corporate communications manager Alex Laity telling
The Observer: "We condemn punishment of any activity internationally
recognised as free expression whether that punishment takes place in China
or anywhere else in the world."
Amnesty, which once relied on letter writing campaigns to bombard
governments with pleas to release political prisoners, now has 1.8 million
supporters in more than 100 countries.
Adapting "People Power" to the electronic age as a tool for pressurising
international opinion, Amnesty urged Web users to sign an online pledge
which will be presented to a U.N. meeting on the future of the Internet in
November.
Supreme Court Won't Consider Yahoo Case
The Supreme Court passed up a chance Tuesday to consider whether Yahoo Inc.
could use American courts to resolve an overseas dispute over the Internet
company's display of Nazi memorabilia.
A French judge had ordered the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company to take Nazi
paraphernalia off its site, yahoo.com. The judge proposed a fine of about
$15 million for running an auction site in which French users could buy and
sell the memorabilia banned in France.
Yahoo's lawyers contested the decision in federal court in California, not
France, arguing that it violated the company's constitutional free speech
rights.
A U.S. appeals court dismissed the company's lawsuit earlier this year. But
the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not resolve whether U.S.-based
Internet companies are liable for damages in foreign courts for displaying
content that is unlawful overseas but protected in the United States.
Although Yahoo lost in that ruling, it did not appeal.
Instead, two French associations took the case to the Supreme Court,
arguing that the ruling leaves the door open for Yahoo to try to use U.S.
courts to avoid judgments by courts in other countries.
Yahoo, which was not forced to pay the fine, filed no arguments at the high
court.
The case is La Ligue Contre Le Racisme Et L'Antisemitisme, v. Yahoo! Inc.,
05-1302.
Berners-Lee: Web Is Ready To Evolve
The mainstream Web is ready for the next step in its evolution, the father
of the Internet proclaimed at this year's World Wide Web Conference (W3C).
"Twenty years from now, we'll look back and say this was the embryonic
period," Tim Berners-Lee, the man credited with creating the Web, said last
week during the opening of conference. "The Web is only going to get more
revolutionary."
Supporters of what is called the "Semantic Web" predict an entirely new
Internet that enables computers to do more of the heavy lifting in terms of
processing data and being able to better interpret the information found on
Web pages.
The Semantic Web is characterized by a greater focus on interactivity and
customization, and an emphasis on media content and social technologies.
In terms of e-commerce and other functionality, experts say, the Semantic
Web will bear little resemblance to the current Internet.
The higher level of performance will be achieved, in part, by new
technologies that move well beyond traditional keyword-search strategies.
As fleshed out at the conference, Berners-Lee's vision of the
next-generation Internet is one in which Web sites, links, media content,
and databases are "smarter," having the ability to automatically provide
more meaning than what is available to users today.
The Semantic Web would make better sense of the glut of data on the
Internet and give it context.
Using new programming languages, the technology would augment the Web with
a "Semantic layer," explained Alex Linden, a former analyst at Gartner.
Linden explained that, for average Internet users, the technology initially
will mean better searches. "Because of the additional data that can be
processed better by computers, it will feed all kinds of search, analytics,
and reporting," he said.
"More automation is always great," Linden said, pointing to Google's
Froogle search engine as an early example of Semantic Web technology. The
Semantic Web will be "a great improvement in user experience," he said.
"I think there's a chance actually that we can do better this time around,"
said Berners-Lee during a W3C panel discussion about the Semantic Web.
Middle Class Goes Broadband As Price Falls
Middle- and working-class Americans signed up for high-speed Internet
access in record numbers in the past year, apparently lured by a price war
among phone companies.
Broadband adoption increased 59 percent from March last year to March 2006
among U.S. households with incomes between $30,000 and $50,000, according
to a survey to be released Monday by the Pew Internet and American Life
Project.
It increased 40 percent in households making less than $30,000 a year.
Among blacks, it increased 121 percent, according to the study.
Middle- and lower-income households still lag higher-income households when
it comes to broadband adoption. Among the $30,000-$50,000 households,
43 percent now have broadband, compared to 68 percent for those making more
than $75,000.
Overall, 42 percent of adult Americans, or 84 million people, have
broadband, compared to 30 percent a year ago.
Phone companies last year started slashing prices for broadband service
that uses regular phone line to establish a digital subscriber line, or
DSL. Both Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. introduced $14.99 per
month offers.
"It seems like the aggressive pricing strategies have had some effect for
DSL providers in those middle-income segments," said John Horrigan,
associate director for research at Pew.
The average monthly fee for DSL was $32 in December, compared to $41 for
cable. A year and a half earlier, DSL cost almost as much as cable.
A separate survey by Leichtman Research said DSL has now overtaken cable
modems in popularity among middle-income households, though cable modems
still make up the majority of home broadband connections overall, at 52
percent. Principal analyst Bruce Leichtman said that figure probably
underreported cable modems slightly.
Leichtman said that while DSL is making strides, cable is also adding
customers quickly. "The fact is they're both winning. From a profitability
standpoint, cable is winning a lot better."
Broadband connections make it much easier for users to put their own
content on the Internet, whether it's pictures, blog postings or pages on
networking sites like MySpace.
Surprisingly, the Pew survey indicated that households making less than
$50,000 a year are slightly more likely to contribute to Internet content.
This is a big change from 2002, the first time a Pew survey asked about
user-generated content. Then, "a 'broadband elite' of mostly male
technophiles were responsible for most of this activity," Horrigan wrote.
Pew surveyed 4,001 adults by phone between Feb. 15 and April 6. The survey
had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Leichtman Research surveyed 1,600 households by phone in March. The margin
of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
=~=~=~=
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